Public Kudos …

A lot of folks are aware of my recent frustrations with getting copies of my new book, A Green Witch’s Formulary into my hot little hands. Let me take you through them once again so you’ll know just how wonderful some people were last week:

I placed my order on August 26th. On August 29th, hurricane Irene hit my publisher’s preferred printer. Unfortunately, said printer didn’t tell anyone their presses were under water for almost 2 weeks. The publisher, Balboa Press, shunted my order to a second printer on September 19th. Although I had a book signing scheduled for the 24th, I wasn’t worried was only a little concerned. Today’s technology allows printers to get orders out the door in 48 hours or less and even if it took a day longer, there’s always overnight shipping.

When Thursday, September 22nd came to a close, I hadn’t received a shipment notification. Now I was nervous. What’s the use of doing a book signing if there are no books to sign? I called Balboa Friday morning and heard that afternoon that my order had just hit the production floor. There was no way to get them to me before I left home in the wee hours of Saturday morning. I’d already committed to the event so made up a sign explaining Irene and hoped for pre-orders.

I had just returned home from a late-afternoon appointment when I received a call from the Director of Fulfillment at Balboa. Bear in mind this was after 5pm on a Friday. He and his staff spent over an hour on the phone with me and other people, trying to get me a supply.

Long story short, another printer in Canada quickly made up ten copies (that wonderful technology again) and drove them to UPS, who overnighted them to a convenience store a block from where the event was being held. I had books by 11am Saturday morning, just an hour after the event started.

Therefore, I want to publicly thank the people who busted their rear ends for me: my Balboa book order consultant, Kim Stegemoller; Joe Scaggs, the fulfillment guy, and his staff; the plant manager in Canada who oversaw the printing & personally drove the box to UPS; and the guys at the Garden Spot Food Mart who took what must have been the strangest phone call they’d ever received and accepted delivery of a box for a stranger.

I expect my full order sometime this week and can’t wait to get it out to everyone who’s been patient with me.